Batch -meter foe concrete mixers



- Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,340

G. JAEGER BATCH METER FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Sept. 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 49 4 8 21 46 41 23 23 GEBHARD JAEGER Aug0 28, 1928.

G. JAEGER BATCH METER FOR CONCRETE MIXERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 20,1925v l GEBHARD JAEGER l Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES GEBHARD JAEGER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BATCH METER FOR CGNCRETE MIXERS.

Application led September This invention relates to concrete mixing machines more particularly of the kind in which a rotary, tiltable mixing drum and loader therefor are employed. One of the objects of the invention is to provide mechanism whereby an annunciator, audible and visual, is actuated upon the occurring of a sutliciency of the mixing operation, said mechanism being adapted to be adjusted, wit-hin limits, to vary the lapse of 'time when the annunciator shall be actuated and therefor the number of rotations of the drum to be allowed for the mixing of he batch, and in combination therewith means for interrupting and latching thedrum during its tilting' and mixing movement toward discharging position to prevent the discharge of the mixing drum until after the signal has been actuated thereby insuringthat the desired number of rotations of the mixing drum shall have taken place. Other objects will appear from the disclosure herein.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described the feature of novelty being finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof- Figure 1 illustrates in front elevation the meter mechanism and its containing box with the cover of the box removed.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II-II Fig. 1 exposing in top plan view the meter mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail in side view of the cam memberA and a retracting spring for 'the shaft carrying the cam member and timing device and also of the latch arm andvits spring to effect the release of the latch arm from latching position.

Fig. fl is a detail section on the line IV-IV Fig. 5 of the cam member showing its interior construction. p

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation on a smaller scale of the meter mechanism as ap` plied to a concrete mixing machine7 parts of said machine being broken off, the electric circuit of the signal being shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 7 is a detail top plan view of the meter and latching mechanism as shown in Fig. 4 with some parts omitted and some parts in section.

In the views 11 designates the mixing drum of an ordinary form which has a single opening at ll for charging it With coll- 20, 1926. Serial No. 136,498.

crete materials and discharging them when mixed. This drum is mounted on a suitable yoke 12 to turn on itsaxis, the yoke having trunnions journaled as at 12 in a frame to permit oscillation or tilting of the drum while being turned on its axis from charging to discharging position and reversely. The charging means to supply the drum with the sand, gravel and cement consists of a bucket 16 pivoted in the frame 30 by means of a pendent link 30 tothe lower end of which the bucket'is connected. The bucket 16 has suitable means (not shown) for hoisting it 'to drun'i-charging position and lowering it to the ground. for receiving fresh supplies of concrete materials.

The mixing drum 11 has suitable means,A operable independently of the means for tilting it, for turning it on its axis including an annular rack 11h engaged by a power diven pinion, as usual. The mixing drum also has means for tilting and discharging it including a large internal gear 13 fixed to the trunnion 12 of the yoke engaged by a pinion (not shown) on a hand wheel 14. In a gen- I eral way the features thus described or their functional equivalents are common to many mixers now being marketed and it is thought a brief description of them will suffice for the purpose of'aiding in explaining the construction and mode of operation of the pres-l ent cooperating elements which will now be described.

18 designates a box that is secured on a cross bar of the frame, said box having mounted therein a worm gear wheel 19 to which is. secured an arm 21 with an inclined end 21a. Said worm wheel is fixed on a shaft 19avthat turns in suitable bearings in the wall and cover of the box 18, and secured between the latter' and the worm gear is a coiled spring 44 tending` to turn the wheel and the members secured to shaft 19L anti-clockwise. Hung in the box 18 is a latch 22 provided with a laterally projecting pin 23 electrically insulated from said latch by suitable material as at 232L (see Fig. 2). Engaging the worm wheel 19 is a shaft 24 having at one end a worm 24a engaging and operating the wheel 19 and at the otherend worm gear 24h engaged by a worm shaft 26 having at its opposite end an ordinary pinion 96a engaged by theannular rack 11b of the mixing drum. In the practical operation when the drum is rotated the worm gear Wheel 19 turned periodically, the shaft 24; being seperably engaged with it ashereinar'ter explained. A reduced end of the shaft 24 beyond the worin 24a carries a block 28 in which said reduced end turns, said block being bifurcate at its upper end (see Fig. 2) and having a cross pin 29 bridging the forks referred to. The block 28 is guided by a vertical rod 54 secured between the top and bottom of the box.

The lower end of the latch 22 is provided with a hook 22?L having ablunt end, and said" latch is drawn by a spring 31 to throw the hook under the cross pin 29 when the worin 24 is engaged with the worm wheel 19 to hold the worm so engaged.

Sliding horizontally in the lower portion of the box 18 is a rod 32 pivoted at its right hand end to a crank arm 33 on one end oiE a shaft 34k journalled in the traine and having at its other a trip arm 35 so that by os cillating said trip arm the rod '32 will be shifted longitudinally. On the bar olf a bracket 36 fixed on the loader bucket is a laterally projecting pin 3G that. when the loader is raised to drum-charging positon. strikes the trip arm 35 and shifts the rod 32 to the left (see Figs. 1 and 2). W'ithin the box 18 the rod 32 is provided with a cam member 37 that strikes a truncated corner of the block 28 when thel'atter is down to raise that member and the'worm 24 the latter into engagement with the worm wheel.

The cani. member 37 is ofsucli forni that when 'the shaft 24 has been lowered to release the worm from the worm gear Vthe block 28 rests on a pin 37a on the guide bar 54 of the block 2,8 with the Yblunt end ot hook 22 abutting against the cross pin 29. y This construction assures the reengageinent of the hook 22 with the cross pin when the block has been raised by the cam member 37.

lV hen pressure of the pina is removed Vfrom trip-arm 35 by therlowering of the loader bucket a spring 38 tends to restore that arm and the rod 32 to position tor reoperation upon the elevation of the loader bucket to charge the mixing drum.

In order to predetermine the Vnumber of rotations to be made by the mixing' drum 1 prior to the operation of the'annunciator the worin gear has secured to its side by a screw 11 a plate havingV an arni21, said plate also having an arcuate slot 2lb through which the said screw passes. Around the plate next the said slot is a scale marked with numbers designating the number of rotations ofthe mixingdruin according to the position of in fix-ed position with reference to the worin-` gear by the same screw l1 passed through a round hole in said member a6 so that upon loosening said screw the plate bearing the arm l21 can be turned with respect to the pointer member and refixed with the pointer pointing as desired. lt may be noted that the radial relation of the pointer to the worin gear is not changed but that the plate having the arni 21 is shifted with respect to the pointer and gear to time the rotation of the drum.

There is illustrated, in the example shown, an electrically operated horn 50. such as used on automobiles, the wiring of which is connected to the pin 23. any source of electricity at 51. and ground at the box 18 asV 'inserted as indicated in the circuit (see Fig.

6) to insure an open circuit when the machine is not in use. f

,Pivo/ted at 55 to the rear wall of the box 18 is a long latching arm 56 extending inelinedly through a suitable slot in the top ot the box, said lever having at its `upper end a Vlaterally extendingmember with a curved portion`56a, the end of which forms a latch. The slot in the top of the box has a surrounding lip 57 and the lever 56 carriespivoted to it at 58 a cover 59 that is adapted to keep conc-rete materials from falling into the box and thereby interfering with the operation or iinpairing the parts of the mechanism therein contained. f Y i Secured on the rim of the interna-l gear 13 is a lug GO havinga laterally projecting pin G1. The pin 61 is so located Vthat when the latching arm is down the pin 61 is engaged by the latching arm and the tilting progress of the mixing drum arrested shortly betere it reaches discharging posit-ion.

' On the shaft 19a is secured a hollow or internal cam member 63 the larger portion'ot the operatingsurface of which is concentric with the axis of the shaft 19a said surface terminating at one end in a recess 63a The latch arm 56 is provided with a lateral pin G4 on which is a roller bearing fitting in a cavity of the internal cam nieinber.` rllie cam Vmember is secured on the shaft 19LL in such position that the latch arm is normally held down by the internal cam member and against the force ofa spring 56b in position to arrest the tilting progress of the drum toward discharging position and" also so that the cavity oie the recess 63a' will be turned to position to permit the roller bearing to enter said recess. and cojnsequentlyl the removal of lsaid arm from the .drum

latchingposition under the iniiuenceof the spring 56". To relieve the roller and ycam of some of the friction at-the start" when the roller is Yto come out of the recess G3A and the latch arm is toV be pulleddown to latching position the rear wall of the box is provided with a stop 18b to sustain the latch arm with the roller not as fully in conta-ct with Athe walls of said recess as it would be `if the pullof the spring 56b held the` roller in such contact.. The boiz'coverv 18 has a suitable hole closable with a removable cover and through which hole a screw driver can be insert-cd to turn the scrcw'for adjusting and fixing the arm 21.

The operation which can be readily gathered from what has been said. is briefly this: During the opeiation ofthe machinethe rotation of the mixing drum on its axis'is constant iii `one direc-tion asusual. I The osc'llation or tilting ymotion of the drum and the raising and lowering of theloader are, in the variety of the mixer referredl to is, manually controlled for the usual reasons. Noi'- mally the timing worm 24a Ydisengaged from its gear, the engagementbeing effected vby the charging operation' of theloader.

Assuming that t-lie drum has just been supplied with the concrete materials and the loaderbucket lowered the arm 21 retracted the worin 24a becomes engaged with the worin wheel '19l whereupon the-'rotation of the drum causes the turning of the arm 21 clockwise slowly Yto position to strike with its end 21a the pin 23 and release the block v2.8 f which `falls to the stop 37a, the worm shaft at the same time being released` by gravity from the worm gear. At the start'vof this operation the latch arm 56 is thrown down in position to arrest the druniwhen the latter arrives nearly at its discharging position.

yThe horn-is sounded by `the* contact of the arm 21'with t-he pin 23 and instantly vthe spring 4:4 retrieves the cam to latch-releasing position to permit the operationof the spring 56" to draw the latch 56a from the pin on wheel 13 and therefore permit the operatorl to turn the drum with the wheel 1.4 to discharging position. The parts of thel timing mechanism remain in this last described position and until the loader is raisedto re-y charge the drum after which the operation is repeated. l The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from vthe gist of the invention as claimed. v Y

In a copending application filed February 4, 1924, S. No. 690,355, to which reference is made, I hav'e shown, described and claimed some of the features herein .in perhaps modified form.

What I claim is: 1. In combination with a rotary and tilting mixing drum, a charging means and a f ing for causing the actuation of the signal means upon a predetermined number of revolutions of the iniXmO drum means carried with the worm gear consisting of a hollow cam havingv a recess in its rim said cam W adapted to engagesaid pin to hold the latching arinin drum latching position pending the operation of the signal means. l 2. ln combinatron .with a rotating and tilteration independently of each other, signaling means, meansactuated by the rotations of safd element to meter the rotations thereof, means for varying and limiting at will the number of rotations of said metering means, a lat-ch for limiting the operation of the tilting means, and means for moving said latch into and out of'latching. position.

3. In 'combination with rotating and tilting elements and means forcausing such operations independently of eachother, .signaiing means, means actuated by the rotation of said element to meter the rotations thereof, eans for limiting at will the number of rotations of' saidrotatin-g and tilting A device. alatch for limiting the operation of the tiltingfineans,.means for` moving said latch .into andout of latching position, and means for Acausingthe operation of the signal by the metering device substantially contemporaneously withv the release of'said latch from latching" position.

4e., In combination with a rotated and tilt-v ing meansfmeans for causing such` operations independently of each other, timing meansand signal means forl the rotatingy means, a4 case containing said timing means, a movable'latching meansA for the tilting means extending through an opening in the wall of'thecase,and a cover carried by said camhaving a recess, said cam adapted te engage` the aforesaid pin of the latching arm to hold said .arm in drum latching position during the metering operation', and meansfor drawing said latching arm fromY said drum latching position upon the completionl of the metering operation.

6. In combination with a rotary and 'tiltelement and means for causing such op-` kried with vthe worm gear consisting of a able mixing drum, means for causing such operation ot the drum independently oiA each other, means actuated by the rotations of the drum to meter the rotations thereof, a latch for preventing the tilting of the drum to discharging position during the meteringr operation, and means for moving said latch into and out of said drum latching position. i

7. In combination With a rotary and tilt-A able mixing drumy means for causing such operation oi? the drum independently of each other, a drum charging device, means actuated by the rotations of the drum to meter the rotations thereof, a latch 'for preventing the tilting ofthe drum to discharg ing position during the metering operation, means :tor releasing said metering means, and means actuated with the metering means to release said latch.

S. In combination with a rotary and tiltable mixing drum, means for aiming said operation of the drum incle}iemle.ntl.y of each other, a drum charging device7 means actuated by the rotations of the drum to meter the rotations thereof, a latch tor preventing the tilting 0i' the drum to discharging position during the metering operation, means for releasing said metering means, means actuated With the metering means to release said latch, and means actuated by the drum charging means for resetting said metering means.

9. In combination with a rotatable mixing drum that is tiltable While rotating toV discharge-it, means for normally latching the drum fromY being tilted to discharge it, a

metering means `for the rotations Vof the drum, and means for releasing the drum latching means to permit the discharge of the drum upon the completion of the operation of the metering means.

l0. In combination With a rotatable mix# ing drum that is tiltable While rotating to discharge it, means for normally latching the drum from being tilted to discharge it, a. metering means for the rotations of the drum opera-ted'by the rotation of the drum, and means for releasing the drum 'latching means to permit the discharge of the drum upon the completion of the operation of the metering means. l

11. In combination with a rotatable mixing drum that is tiltable While rotating to discharge it, meansl for normally latching the same from being tilted to discharging position, a metering means for the rotations of the drum, and means for automatically releasing the drum latching means to permit the tilting of the drum to discharge it upon the completion ofthe operation of the metering means.

l2. In combination With a rotatable and tilting mixing drum that is tiltable While rotating to discharge it, means `for normally latchi-ng the drum from being tilted to discharge it, a metering means for the rotation oi' the drum operated by the rotation of the drum, and means for automatically releasing the drum latching means to permit discharging of the drum upon the completion of the operation of the` metering means.

13. vIn combination with a rotating and tilting element and means for causing such operation independently o'l' each other, means actuated with the rotations ot' such element to meter the rotations thereof, a latch for limiting the tilting movement of said element, and means for moving said latch into and out of said tilting movement limiting position.

la. The combination of a frame, a tilting mixing drum carried by said frame, a latch for restraining said drum against tilting, and automatic mechanism for releasing said latch after said drum has executed apredetermined number of revolutions.

l5. The combination of a frame, a tilting mixingdrum carried by said frame, a latch for restraining said drum against tilting, and automatic mechanism driven from said drum for releasing said latch after said drum has executed a predetermined number of revolutions. y

16. The combination of a frame, a tilting mixing drum carried thereby, a latch for restraining said drum against tilting, a-

charging bucket for delivering a charge to said drum, automatic mechanismfor releasing said latch after said drum has executed a predetermined number of revolutions, and means Vfor initiating the operation of said automatic mechanism when said bucket is moved to charging position.

, 17. The combination of a frame, a tilting mixing drum carried thereby, locking means for restraining said drum from tilting, and automatic means for releasing said locking mechanism after a predetermined interval.

GERHARD JAEGER.

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